Make your online business lucrative without influencers

Technology is one of the tools small and medium businesses can leverage on to grow sales. Take the digital space in Kenya. A Google-backed survey that was done by Kantar TNS shows that up to 72 per cent of Kenyans go online daily. In addition, smartphone penetration now stands at over 40 million in the country. This means that more Kenyans are now using the digital space. It also means that business owners are in a mud rush to establish an online presence. However, the majority of these businesses are unable to convert their pages and sites into revenue generating platforms. Why is this?

Your website or pages

Building a beautiful website that has an attractive interface, design and photos is one thing. Attracting new and returning traffic is another thing altogether. Yet it is the returning traffic that is most likely to convert into sales. Nowadays, most people use influencers to attract traction to their social media pages and sites. But according to communication specialist Kiprono Kalya, hiring expensive influencers to drive traffic to your social media pages or website might not be a very good idea. This is because once your campaign period is over, there is likely to be no follow up traffic or conversion to sales. Mark you, every digital marketer will be quick to sell their services, and even quicker to sell them to a second bidder. “A digital marketer will foremost think about their own bottom line. Most of them will deliver what they promised, which is visibility,” says Kiprono. This visibility will be measured by statistics showing the engagements, likes, comments and reactions that they generated. In many instances, these statistics don’t result to sales. For example, says consumer insights researcher Anthony Muchiri, people who follow a popular comedian or dance model will not buy your serviettes simply because they've been told to. "The product and the consumer needs must align," says Muchiri.

Brand identity

The common mistake most SME’s owners make is the assumption that the success of an online business depends exclusively on IT specialists. But apart from guaranteeing that your social media pages or website technically performs optimally without hanging or breaking down, there is little else that an IT expert will offer. “Your online platform must at all times perform as your official front office,” says Kiprono. This requires you to go for a communication specialist who can guide you on how to package your content in a manner that people can connect and identify with. “For you to get good traction on your site or page, people need to connect with your vision and mission through content.” Since you will be selling online, chances are that you may never meet your customers face to face. You must figure out new ways of knowing what their likes and dislikes are, what they are thinking, and how they reviewed your product. You can do this by ensuring that your online platform is tailored to respond to the reviews, questions, and needs. In an age when internet is evolving daily, many customers will stop to tell you to get your act together. Instead, they will shift their attention to a competitor who can communicate and meet their needs more effectively.

Online tools

There are multiple tools online that you can utilise to make visually appealing presentations that will spur engagements among your target audience. For example, with email marketing, you may need to acquire innovative email signature software that will transform your business email into an interactive branding promotion that looks professional. Once you build up a list of customers and subscribers, there are various types of emails you can set up. These include loyalty programs for your customers, promotional emails for special offers and sales, and seasonal wishes for holidays and special events. Your subscription can be boosted by complimentary channels such as your Facebook page. But don’t always rely on free goodies and tools online. For instance, on Facebook, it may take a long while before your organic reach can attain convertible engagements.

Consider boosting your presentations to make an impression. Boosted presentations can be tailored to suit an audience with a specific age bracket. If you run a website, creating better search engine optimisation can go a long way. This means that your business must stand out in the search results. This will require you to focus on a strong search engine optimization strategy. If you take a spot check online, you will realise that Kenyans are sensitive about pricing. Don’t ask potential customers to contact you privately for pricing.